William v



(No Model.)

W. V. MILLER. BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 517,354. Patented Mar. 27, "894.

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` l UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE..

WILLIAM v. .MiLLEaoEvsr JOSEPH, MIssoURL-AssreNoE or ONE-HALE To ALPHA'W. TOOLE, OF SAME PLAGE.

vBUTTONHOLE SEWING-MACHINE..

'srncrrflcn'rrolv forming para of Letters Patenten. 517,354, dated March 27, 1894.

, Application led April 12, 1893. Serial 110.470,094. (No model) v To aZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I,WILLIAM V'. MiLLER,a citizen of the United-States, residing at St. Joseph, lin the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented*v certain new and useful Improvements in Buttonhole Sewing- Machines; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will 'enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. e My invention relates tocertain. improvements in `buttonhole sewing machines and has for its object to improve the construction of such machines, and especially that class of such machines of which the button-hole sewing machine set forth in the patent to F. W. Ostron, No'. 303,453, granted August 12, 1884, is a type, all as willbe more fully hereinafter set forth.

rIhe novel features of my invention willbe carefully defined in the claims.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I have illustrated in the ac-` companying drawings certain of the operative portions of a button-hole sewing machine provided with my improvements and'have also illustrated certain of the parts ofl such a machine as are shown inthe patent above referred to, which my improvements are intended to supersede. 3 5 In said drawings-*Figure 1 is a plan View of certain of the old and well known parts provided with my improvements, portions of the mechanism being omitted to avoid ob` sourit-y, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved parts detached. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the parts seen in Fig. 1, taken substantially along the line in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a view of the cloth plate and cloth thereon, showing the button-hole as formed 45 by my improved mechanism. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the form of machine heretofore employed, and Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively, a transverse section along lineyy in Fig. 5

and a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the form 5o of button-hole made by the old machine.

referred to.

herein.

Before proceeding to describe myimprovements, I will first refer briefly to the old form of button hole sewingl machine illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 and point out the objectionable features thereof which Aare sought to be over- 5 5- come by my improvements. In these views 33 are the fixed ways or guides in which are mounted-alower slide plate 35 and an upper slide plate 36. The slide plate 35 is provided on its under side with a stud 37a which is con- 5o nected to some moving part of the machine, in suchl a manner that vibratory motion is imparted to said slide plate' 35 causing the same to reciprocate in itsl guides or ways 33. The slide plate 35 is also provided on its up- 65 per side with a stud 41 projecting through'a slot in slide plate 36 to the upper end of which stud is pivoted a jog-roller 40. The slide plate 36 isprovided on its upper side withA a pin or stud 18, on which rotates a cam 7o l disk 37, provided with a central tubular stem 17, and said slide plate also carries the cloth plate 9. The cam surface of disk 37 is arranged in the plane of the roller on stud 41, and springs 46 are provided between the 75 slide plates 35 and 36 by the elasticity of which the cam surface of disk 37 is held against the roller 40 as will be clearly seen. By this mechanism it will be seen that the two slide plates are caused to reciprocate in their ways 8o 33 by means of the connection of stud 37a with the moving partof the machine as above By this means the cloth plate 9 and cloth borne thereby is also caused to reciprocate whereby the stitches 11 at the sides 8 5 of the button hole 12 (seen in Fig. 7) yare formed, the cloth plate 9 being given a lateral movement equal to the space between the successive stitches at each movement whereby the longitudinal series of stitches at 9o the sides of the button hole are formed. This mechanism for feeding the cloth plate laterally forms no part of my present `invention and I have consequently not shown the same f In order to shift the plane of the longitudinal series of stitches along the side of the button hole as the end 48 thereof is reached the rotating cam disk 37 has been provided.V In the rotation of said disk as the raised cam too surface 39 thereof reaches the roller 40, it will be seen that the slide plate 36 will be shifted toward the left in Fig. 5, and thus shift the plane of the stitches across the end 48 of the button hole l2, when by a reversa-l of the lateral feed mechanism of cloth plate 9 (above referred to but not shown) the longitudinal series of stitches 48 along the other side of the button hole will be formed. When the end of the cam surface 39 is reached the plate 9 is moved back across the lower end of the button hole by elasticity of springs 46. Thus it will be seen that the proper operation of the machine, that is, the uniform length and arrangement of the stitches, depends entirely on the uncertain action of the springs 46, and that when the machine is running rapidly, the inertia of the moving slide plate 36 will prevent the said springs 46 from instant action, `whereby the length of the stitches will vary producing poor and irregular work. Another disadvantage attendant on the employment of said springs 46 is that when the ma chine-is running rapidly and the inertia of the moving slide plate 36 prevents 'the instant action of the springs and in consequence the cam surface of disk 37 does not press upon roller 40 with equal force at all points the stitches will not be equally spaced, those on one side being closer and those on the opposite side farther apart as seen at Fig. 7.

In carrying out my invention I dispense wholly with these springs 46 thereby avoiding the above objectionable features and iustead provide positive mechanical devices for shifting the plane of the longitudinal series of side stitches, which devices I will now describe reference being had to the first four igures of the drawings.

33 are the Ways or guides in which a single slide plate 16 plays, and said slide plate bears the cloth plate 9 attached to its under side by means of screw 2i and bar 22 and on its upper side said slide plate is further pro vided with a plate 20, secured thereto, and bearing a vertical stud or pin 18. The stud 18 has a reduced and screw threaded upper portion 52 and ou it is journaled the disk or plate 27, having a central tubular stem 17 and in an annular recess in the upper face of said plate or disk 27 is arranged a pawl ring 24 to which is coupled a link 24X 011e end of which is connected to one of the xed guides 33. A cam 1 is also mounted on the annular stem 17 of the disk 27 being fixed to said disk by a screw 28, as seenrin Fig. 2 and this cam is encircled bya yoke 2, the width of the opening therein and the several diameters of cam 1 being so proportioned as to admit said cam to turn together with disk 27 upon stud 18 without preventing the function of the parts. The yoke 2 has at its end a tubular stein 3 engaged by a stud or screw 4 set on the slide plate 16, and on said sleeve 3 is set, by means of a split ring and the clamp screw 15, the iever or arm 5, bearinga seresof screw threaded perforations 53, with which engages the screw 7, set in a headed anti-friction sleeve 6, journaled in the end of a lever S, the other end of which is' provided with a socket 14, and is adapted for connection to a moving part of the machine in a similar `manner to the connectionof stud 37a in the construction illustrated in Figs. and 6, so that the slide plate 16 may likewise be rapidly reciprocated in its guides or ways 33.

Journaled on the stem 17, of plate 27, above lthe cam 1 and its yoke 2 is a ratchet wheel 26, also fixed to the disk 27 so as to rotate therewith by the engagement of the head of the screw 28 with an aperture formed therein and to the upper face of this ratchet wheel 26 are secured the arms of a friction spring 50, having an opening encircling the upper end of stud 18, the tension of which spring may be regulated by a screw cap 51, screwing over the upper screw threaded end 52 of `stud 18, as seen in Fig. 2. Pawl ring 24 carries a projecting portion, on. which is pivoted a spring actuated dog 23 engaging the teeth of ratchet Wheel 2 6, as clearly shown in Fig. l. By this construction it will be seen that as the slide plate 16 is vibrated back and forth in guides 33 the pawl ring 24 Will not partake of such movement being pivoted to link` 24x but will swing on said pivot in such a manner as to cause the pawl 23 to wipe over the teeth of ratchet wheel 26 at each stroke of the slide plate whereby said ratchet wheel will be rotated tooth by tooth and through its connection with carn 1 will also rotate said cam and disk 27 on stud 18, causingsaid cant to gradually assume its diherent positionsin such a manner that the throw of the cloth plate 9 in forming each stitch of the button hole will be positively regulated, whereby each of thelongitudinal series of stitches will be of equal length and as seen in Fig. 4, stitches 54 and 55 will extend entirely across the end of the button hole and insure the proper strength at these points, this having been a seriously objectionable feature of the construction shown in Figs. 5 and that by reason of the uncertain action of the springs 46, the end stitches 48 as seen in Fig. 7 were very irregularly formed it often occurring that but one stitch was formed entirely across the end of the button hole, whereby instead of the end being the strongest point of the work it became the Weakest.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form ot' the partsot' my improvement as herein shown since it is ob vious that many alterations may be made therein without material departure therefrom. For instance by imparting various forms to the cam, the machine may be made to work button holes of special or-different forms. Further, the providing of the screw threaded sockets 53 admitsof adjusting the IOO device for working button holes of dierent sizes, it being only necessary to shift the screw 7 from one socket to another, whereby the throw of the lever and its consequent action on cam 1 may be changed at will.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a button -hole sewing machine, the combination of the slide-plate 16 provided with acam, means for rotating said cam, and a pivoted yoke encircling said cam and adapted for connection with a moving part of the machine, substantially as set forth.

2. In a button -holc sewing machine, the combination of the slide plate lprovided with a stud, a plate mounted on said stud and having a central sleeve, a cam mounted on said 'sleeve,a ratchet wheel connected to said cam, means for rotating said ratchet wheel, and a yoke encircling said cam and adapted for connection with a moving part of the machine, substantially as set forth.

3. In a button -hole sewing machine, the combination with a slide plate 16 having a cam, of means for rotating said cam, a pivoted yoke encircling said cam, an arm adjustably connected to said yoke, and av lever 8 adjustably connected to said arm at one end, and having its other end adapted for connection with a moving part of the machine, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the slide plate 16 having a cam, means for rotating said cam, the yoke encircling said cam and provided at its end with a sleeve, an arm having a split ring and a pinch screw for adjustable connection to said sleeve, and a lever, 8, adjustably connected at one end to said arm and having its other en d adapted for connection with a moving part of the machine, substantially as set forth.

5. In a button hole sewing machine, the combination with aA slideplate 16 provided with a stud, of a plate mounted on said stud and having a central sleeve, a cam mounted on said sleeve, a ratchet wheel connected to said cam, a pawl pivoted to said slide plate and adapted to engage the teeth of said ratchet wheel, and a yoke encircling said cam and adapted for connection with a moving part of the machine, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM v. MILLER.

Witnesses: Y

GEORGE W. HINToN, FRANK B. SCHNEIDER. 

